From Richard Flint #14

14 – Fires plagued Barnum. As recounted, 1887 destroyed his first circus winter quarters. Built of wood, it would be rebuilt with brick. The other great fire familiar to many occurred on January 26, 1924, and gutted the large building seen here in two rare photos courtesy of the Barnum Museum and with thanks to fan Bruce Hawley. However, there were two other significant fires. In January 1900 fire destroyed from 11 to 30 rail cars (news reports differed) including the Buffalo Bill buffet car and "Mr. Bailey's private car, formerly used by P.T. Barnum." The Bailey-owned wild west show was spending the winter at Bridgeport (the circus was in Europe) and the fire destruction apparently delayed the show’s springtime opening. A new brick-and-steel replacement building, 350 x 50 feet, was soon built but that, too, was the victim of a brutal fire just three years later when the Barnum show returned from its European tour. Late in February 1903 a lamp explosion started the car barn fire and setting ablaze numerous railroad cars stored nearby. Fourteen elephants were led individually between blazing cars and their wild trumpeting frightened the neighborhood making people think wild animals had escaped. Twelve firemen were injured when part of a roof collapsed and the fire crippled the city’s street car lines. Six new Pullmans and two new flats were completely destroyed and ten stock cars were considerably damaged. 150 feet of the new structure was lost. It is these two fires that caused the front of the original car barn, so close to Railroad Avenue, to be set back and the lost building space was rebuilt as an extension to the back of what survived.